SANTIAGO – Some 30 striking bus drivers continued on Tuesday to occupy the UN International Labor Organization’s regional office in the Chilean capital to call attention to their labor dispute with the municipal transit network.

The strikers took over the ILO office late Monday and were received by the agency’s director for the Southern Cone of South America, Fabio Bertanou.

The drivers, who went on strike nine days ago, asked Bertanou to organize three-party talks with the management of the Transantiago system, the ILO said in a statement.

“The ILO reaffirms its willingness for dialogue in a context of peace and respect, which are fundamental to build just and fair labor relations,” the statement said.

Nearly 250 bus drivers walked out after rejecting a contract proposal that their union said put “restrictions on wage increases and penalizes workers.”

The strike has halted service on six Transantiago lines and authorities have turned to other bus companies to accommodate commuters who normally travel those routes.

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